With another school season comes another class for the youth leadership organization YOUth LEAD.

Now in its fifth season in Demopolis, YOUth LEAD is sponsored by the City of Demopolis, Leadership Marengo and several local businesses and organizations.

An offshoot of Leadership Marengo, the YOUth LEAD mission is similar: to help provide leadership training to high school students and teach the skills and importance of having good leadership.

This year, 24 students from Demopolis High School and John Essex High School will take part in five classes that support that mission.

On Thursday, the YOUth LEAD class met at the Demopolis Higher Education Center in a kind of “get to know you” session. Dr. Ken Tucker, a professor at the University of West Alabama and a member of the Marengo County Commission, led a class that helped develop team-building skills and improve communication skills.

Later this school year, these students will sit in on sessions of the Demopolis City Council and the Demopolis City Schools board as well as the Alabama state legislature.

While teens seem to get less than the benefit of the doubt as to their future, our area students are taking part in something that will help them develop and grow, becoming leaders wherever their lives take them after high school — hopefully, back here to Demopolis and Marengo County.

Thanks to the students who are taking part in Class V of YOUth LEAD. Remember: it all starts with YOU.